Black Shot Preview - MMOFPS

Taking Aim With Black Shot - Preview

Two War is reviving Black Shot, an MMOFPS game that was once hosted by the venerable MMO portal, OutSpark. This free-to-play shooter will re-emerge onto the market after a brief hiatus, returning with the popular capture-the-flag, team deathmatch and PvE modes that helped put it on the map.

Black Shot, as of the writing of this preview, is still undergoing stress testing and closed beta procedures. However, unlike a few other highly awaited titles such as Dizzel or Project E, this game is actually expected to go live within a few weeks of its final closed beta session. So gamers won’t have to wait long to get their trigger fingers on this game.

Premise And Concept

The year is 2033 and the planet is on the verge of an apocalyptic war after a cloning corporation built meta-humans to work as the frontline soldiers for every war at every corner of the world. Things went sour and the clones began overrunning the world like procreation-happy rabbits. The only difference is that the clones weren’t about making love but making war.

Unlike Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots, where Revolver Ocelot (through the control of Liquid Snake’s arm) had all the clones under his command, the soldier clones in Black Shot became their own army and world leaders were pushed into nuclear warfare as the only way to combat them. Of course, this nuclear genocide left the world in tatters and now all militaries are dictated through a couple of private mercenary services.

Black Shot is the name of the last PMC that follows a true code of conduct and seeks to serve as the moral compass of a lawless post-war world. The Gaia Inc. faction is a group only concerned with recovering old-world tech and furthering nuclear technology, while the Clones represent the remaining facility of the very group that brought about nuclear warfare.

Characters And Weapons

While the character selection is thin, they at least feature some mild customization options so that players who choose the merc with the miniskirt won’t look so out of place with a few additional accessories in place. Nevertheless, this isn’t quite like Perfect World, so the focus isn’t so much on character customization as it is gameplay.

There’s a bevy selection of weapons in the game that range from shotguns and automatic-pistols, to Desert Eagle handguns and light-machine guns. This means favorites like the M16 and AK47 have made the cut, but lesser known respectable firearms such as the HK416 and G36 are also in the game.

There are light modification systems in place as well to outfit a gun with additional add-ons, such as a silencer or laser sight. However, unlike Operation 7 this game does not get into the detailed functions of assembling a weapon. Hence, Black Shot is aimed at a more casual audience.

Game Modes

Much like every other shooter out there all the standard modes are in place, such as deathmatch and team deathmatch. Black Shot also sports team capture the flag and a slightly more intriguing mode called Defense. Up to four players can work together to defend a bunker from enemy clone attackers in the Defense mode. The mode is aimed at being intense as players have to survive until a rescue crew comes in, so it’s up to the four (un)lucky mercenaries to take out as many of those clone scumbags as possible. The AI in this mode, based on the current version of the game, seemed quite easy but that may change in the final game. It’s slightly unfortunate that there aren’t more game modes, but if enough variety is present with what is in the game then Black Shot may have some long-lasting replay appeal.

Maps For Fight Or Flight

The maps available in the game range from decimated cities with tipped over cars and tight alleyways working as a bridge for corridor shooting, while other maps offer slightly more space for the shootouts, with cross-sections and urban streets making up for the battleground area. Based on what the game offers, so far, the maps appear to cater toward the run-and-gun mechanic, with very little cover fire or suppression points being made available.

One thing is worth noting, though, and it’s that the one Defense mode map does actually support the stationary team-tactic approach to gunfights as opposed to the CTF and team deathmatch maps, which focus more on running fast, shooting faster and moving on to the next target.

Tactical Or Twitchy-Fingered? - Black Shot Beta

At this point it’s tough to tell how much of Black Shot will focus on tactical gameplay measures and how much will fall in line with twitchy-fingered gameplay. Many of the maps and pace reminded me a lot of Soldier Front and Sudden Attack, which isn’t a very good thing. Nevertheless, as soon as the game becomes widely available for play in its open-beta mode a review will definitely follow shortly thereafter and gamers will be able to find out if Black Shot is part of the new generation of free-to-play FPS games or just another Crazy Shooter Online clone.

For more information on Black Shot, be sure to visit the Official Website.

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